This invention relates to compositions for the oral cavity, which permit adsorption of a pharmaceutically-active agent or a microbicidal agent at a high rate on the oral mucosas and are excellent in the effects of preventing and/or treating paradental diseases.
A variety of pharmaceutically-active agents is added in a composition for the oral cavity to prevent and/or treat paradental diseases. The pharmaceutically-active agents so added are desired to be adsorbed on the oral mucosas and to act effectively. Upon rinsing, however, their pharmaceutically-active ingredients are washed away so that not many of them are adsorbed on the mucosas. Further, no sufficient effects were available for the prevention and/or treatment of paradental diseases.
An object of the present invention is to provide a composition for the oral cavity, which permits adsorption of a pharmaceutically-active agent or a microbicidal agent at a high rate on the oral mucosas and is excellent in the effects of preventing and/or treating paradental diseases.
The present inventors have found that, when a pharmaceutically-active agent or a microbicidal agent and an exothermic ingredient or a water-soluble high-molecular substance are combined and the water content of the resulting composition for the oral cavity is controlled not higher than 5 wt.%, the adsorption rate of the added pharmaceutically-active agent or microbicidal agent on the oral mocosas becomes higher, thereby bringing about excellent effects for the prevention and/or treatment of paradental diseases.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a composition for the oral cavity, comprising (A) a pharmaceutically-active agent, which acts on the periodontium, or a microbicidal agent and (B) an exothermic ingredient or a water-soluble high-molecular substance, said composition having a water content not higher than 5 wt.%.
The present invention also provides an intraoral treatment method, which comprises brushing the teeth and/or gingivae with the above-described composition for the oral cavity.